Portable food bar for take out foods

ABSTRACT

An article of packaging for take out food which enables both hot and cold food to be packaged in the same container, transported without products shifting or spilling, and served without unpacking and re-plating. The portable food bar consists of three sections: a base ( 10 ), a multiple compartment food tray insert ( 12 ) which is inserted into a base and a lid ( 13 ) which fits securely on to the base. The food tray sits in the base and is covered by the lid, forming an integrated single unit. The portable food bar requires less packaging time, fewer packaging materials, and provides better temperature retention. The portable food bar is stackable for larger orders, can be transported safely without shifting or spilling, and served without unpacking and re-plating.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/601,696 filed 2004 Aug. 16 by the present inventor.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

Not Applicable

SEQUENCE LISTORING OR PROGRAM

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

This invention relates to packaging in the foodservice industry, specifically to food sold and packaged for “take out”, off-premise dining.

2. Prior Art

Restaurants and other foodservices facilities regularly provide food to take out. Various types of take-out packaging has been developed to enable customers to take out food in a manner that is easily transportable and maintains the temperature, quality and presentation of the food.

The primary packaging for take out orders include a Styrofoam clamshell for a burger and fries, a clear plastic clamshell for a salad, a 3-compartment plastic plate with clear top for an entree with two sides. The packaging comes in an endless variety of shapes, sizes, materials including plastic, paper, and Styrofoam, laminates and hybrids incorporating combinations of these materials

For small orders such as might be ordered for a family or group of 4 people, 4 separate orders are taken either at the cashier station at the restaurant or over the phone. They are then individually prepared by the kitchen staff, individually packed by a cook along with condiments, dipping sauces and other accompaniments. There are then either stacked into large bags, or packed into smaller bags to provide an additional layer of protection against spilling and then stacked into large bags.

For take-out orders for 5-20+ people, the complexity of the food ordering, the likelihood of a mistake, the complicated food production process, the packaging time, the use of kitchen space and cost of packaging materials is significant.

Once packed, an order of this size is difficult to carry to a car, is unstable and will often fall, or spill. Once carried to the customer's home or office, products must be unpacked often reheated due to poor thermal retention, most often re-plated to make an appetizing presentation and cleaned up after the meal. This takes time and effort on the part of the customer and is a direct contradiction to their demand for less work and more convenience.

All of the take-out packaging heretofore known suffer from a number of disadvantages:

-   -   a) The time required to take a complicated take-out order for 5+         people is significant. An order for 6-8 people often takes 4-10         minutes and invariably involves customization of standard menu         items. This leads to mistakes, which is costly to the restaurant         or other foodservice provider, both in cost of remaking the         product, the time it takes to do so, and the time it takes for         the restaurant to deliver the correct product. In addition,         mistakes in take out orders are one of consumer's biggest         complaints against restaurants.     -   b) The packaging of an order is time-consuming and takes up a         lot of space in the kitchen. An order for 6-12 people can take         from 5-15 minutes to package. It involves many plastic or foam         plates, which are placed into small bags, which are placed in         large carrying bags. The packaging staging area takes up counter         space which is normally used for the general restaurant         operations. This generally creates bottlenecks in the kitchen,         mistakes and customer dissatisfaction.     -   c) The packaging which is cost effective is generally cheap         looking and diminishes the perception of the food. Current         packaging options are generally Styrofoam and plastic in         different colors and qualities. Due to the fact that packaging         costs are generally not passed along directly to the consumer,         packaging costs result in significantly reduced margins. As a         result most restaurants opt for inexpensive, functional         packaging. In countries such as France, where packaging costs         are added on to a take-out order, higher quality,         presentation-like packaging is frequently used.     -   d) While offering some insulation qualities, current packaging         offers insulation qualities which fail to prevent deterioration         of food quality as compared to the identical food purchased and         eaten on-site.     -   e) In a take-out order consisting of both hot and cold food, the         food is generally placed in separate containers, yet put in the         same large plastic or paper bags, which allows heat transfer         between the hot and cold foods, thereby cooling off the hot         foods and warming up the cold foods.     -   f) The current packaging is unstable for carrying to customers         car, unstable when driving to customers home or office, and         unstable carried from car to final destination. Continual         shifting causes food to move inside the containers, both mixing         food that should be separate, and destroying the aesthetic         presentation of the food.     -   g) When the food arrives at home or office, the food is         generally removed from the take-out packaging and re-plated         before serving. This is a time-consuming process which adversely         impacts food temperature, and presentation. It also requires the         significant clean up of dishes, etc.     -   h) Current packaging offers virtually no significant branding         opportunities during the eating of the food. While there are         commonly logos on bags, and sometimes on napkins, when people         are actually eating the food, the most important time for         developing positive associations between the restaurant and the         food, there is generally little or no branding with logos,         taglines, or marketing messages.     -   i) An order for 6-8 people generally requires 3-4 large bags         which is the beyond maximum that one person can carry at one         time without spilling or otherwise degrading the product. This         makes take-out orders for larger groups difficult for a single         person to manage.

OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES

Accordingly, beside the objects and advantages of the “portable food bar for take-out food” described in my provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/601,696, several objects and advantages of the present invention are:

-   -   a) to provide a simple array of products that the customer can         mix and match to suit their preferences greatly reducing         ordering complexity, ordering time and mistakes     -   b) to provide a fast way of assembling orders by enabling cooks         to dish up the food products into individual compartments         (“wells”) in a single tray and cover with a single lid, with no         other packaging needed, reducing assembly time.     -   c) to provided a means of assembling a large order using almost         no extra counter space     -   d) to provide a means of fulfilling a large take-out order         without disrupting the production of food orders of dine-in         customers.     -   e) to provide a functional, convenient means of packaging which         is perceived by the customer as special packaging with a strong         value perception and which can be added into the cost of the         take-out order without customer resistance.     -   f) to provide outstanding insulation properties within a single         unit, keeping hot foods hot and cold foods cold.     -   g) to provide stable packaging which allows the food order to be         carried to and from a car, and driven in a car without shifting,         falling or spilling.     -   h) to allow the food to be presented to the guests by merely         removing the lid and putting on the table, with no clean up or         dishwashing required.     -   i) to provide branding opportunities throughout the meal with         logos, art work and marketing messages on the outside of the         food bar     -   j) to provide easy to carry, stackable packaging which will         allow a single person to easily carry 2-3 food bars which will         serve 20-25 people.     -   k) to provide a multi-piece packaging unit where many of the         components are reusable.     -   l) to provide packaging product that is as attractive, for both         its design and functionality.

Further objects and advantages are to provide packaging which is easier to use, requires less labor, requires less inventory of packaging products, develops the sales potential of the 5-25 person take-out order segment, provides a strong branding opportunity to reach new potential customers, and elevates packaging to a position where it becomes an integral component of the purchase decision.

Still further objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the ensuing description and drawings.

SUMMARY

An article of packaging for take out food, comprised of a base of Styrofoam or similar insulating material with a cut out top that allows the insertion of a food tray, a food tray with multiple food compartments of various sizes, shapes and depths which fits snugly on to the top of the base, and a lid which snaps securely on to the top of said food tray and base, enabling the food products to be packaged quickly, to retain proper food temperatures, to be transported without products shifting or spilling, and to be served in the same container.

DRAWINGS—FIGURES

FIG. 1 shows a depiction of the “Portable Food Bar, showing the base, insert tray and lid.

FIG. 2 shows the standard base with the inside cut out to allow for the tray insert.

FIG. 3 shows a top view of the tray insert with “wells” to hold food.

FIG. 4 shows a side view of small wells version for smaller orders.

FIG. 5 shows a side view of a large wells version for larger orders.

FIG. 6 shows a top view of snap on lid with ridges for temperature retention

FIG. 7 shows a view of the base with the wells stamped directly into the base eliminating the need for a tray insert.

FIG. 8 shows a base with holes cut into top so that existing food containers can be inserted.

FIG. 9 shows a base constructed so that it can be folded for easier shipping and storage

DRAWINGS—REFERENCE NUMERALS

-   -   10 base     -   11 marketing/branding banner     -   12 food tray insert     -   13 snap on lid     -   14 food wells in plastic tray insert     -   15 deeper food wells for larger orders     -   16 ridges in lid to separate hot foods from cold foods     -   17 food wells stamped directly into base eliminating need for         tray insert     -   18 cut out on top of base that food tray fits into     -   19 folded base

DETAILED DESCRIPTION—FIGS. 1,2,3,4,5,6 PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A preferred embodiment of a “portable food bar” is illustrated in FIG. 1 (side view). The portable food bar consists of three sections: a base 10 (FIG. 2), a food tray 12 (FIG. 3) which is inserted into a base and a lid 13 which snaps on to the base (FIG. 6). The food tray sits in the base and is covered by the lid, forming an integrated single unit. (FIG. 1)

The base 10 is rigid and does not bend or flex. The overall dimensions of the base 10 are roughly 52 cm by 39 cm and roughly 8-11 cm deep. The base is flat on the bottom and sides. The top of the base 10 is molded in such a way that that the food tray 12 “fits” into the molded base so that the food tray in the base forms a stable integrated unit. The base can made of Styrofoam, plastic, cardboard or some combination of these or similar materials.

The food tray 12 is a thin plastic tray designed with multiple sections known as “food wells” to accommodate various products. The tray is designed in various depths—a 5 cm depth 14 that accommodates food for six people (FIG. 4) and a 8 cm depth 15 would accommodate food for eight people (FIG. 5). The depth of each tray will be able to fit into the standard base. In this manner the same base 10 and lid 13 can be used for a wider range of product volumes. The configuration of the food tray and the number and shape of the food wells can be customized for a wide range of foodservice needs.

The plastic snap-on lid 13 is divided into sections so that one section seals the hot products to retain heat while isolating it from the cold products. The sectioning of the lid will be accomplished by molding ridges into the lid which fits flush against the food tray 12. However, other sealing methods are possible, including molding ridges into the food tray 12 which fits securely against the lid, or sealing the food tray with plastic wrap prior to putting on the lid.

The portable food bar will be made of a variety of materials—Styrofoam, plastic, resins, coating materials, cardboard and others depending on the specific requirements of the customer. For example, if a customer won't use Styrofoam because of environmental concerns, we will use paper products, such as corrugated cardboard for the base. However, the base can consist of any other materials that are light, rigid and possessing insulating qualities, such as Styrofoam, various impregnated or laminated fibrous materials, various plasticized materials, cardboard, paper, etc.

I presently prefer the base, food tray insert, and lid as detailed in FIG. 1-6 However, it can have a base, food tray insert and lid of different sizes and materials to accommodate specific requirements of customers in the areas of insulation, spill resistance, product shifting, ruggedness, portability, type and quantity of product to be held, marketing/branding and other customer needs.

Operation—FIGS. 1,3,4,5,6,7,8

The manner of using the portable food bar is as follows:

1) The base 10 is used as the foundation of the packaging. It is flat-bottomed and rigid to hold the food tray insert. The base also provides insulation properties keeping hot food hot and cold food cold. The base is designed to fit a variety of food tray inserts. It is also designed with flat sides so that marketing and branding can be imprinted directly on to the sides or by means of a banner 11 attached to a non-branded base.

2) The food tray insert 12 fits snugly on to the base in a manner which allows the two components to act as one piece. The food wells 14 molded into the food tray allow the cook to scoop different products into the different food wells, thereby creating a mini food bar, resembling a smaller, portable version of a salad bar or buffet line. This takes very little time as compared to the conventional packaging which requires numerous containers, lids, paper and plastic bags, etc.

3) The lid 13 is simply snapped on after the food is put into the food tray. The ridges in the lid and/or the food tray keep the hot foods and cold foods from transferring heat to each other.

4) The base 10 and the lid 13 can be reused with another food tray insert 12 on another occasion.

FIG. 7—Additional Embodiments

The three components, the base 10, the food tray insert 12, and the lid 13 are engineered for specific customer requirements. As an example, if a user wants a single size food tray with the maximum insulation capability, a customized version will be manufactured where, instead of a separate food tray placed into the base, the food wells will be stamped into the base and coated with a plastic laminate enabling the food to be put directly into the base. The lid will snap onto the base in a similar fashion to the 3-piece design.

FIG. 8, 9—Alternative Embodiments

A base 10 with holes cut into the top (FIG. 8) that can accommodate existing small containers currently used in foodservice that can be sealed with the preferred lid 13 or alternatively using currently available tops for small containers.

A base 10 which collapses into a flat shape (FIG. 9) for shipping and storing and can be opened to full size and specifications of the preferred base.

Advantages

From the description above, a number of advantages of my portable food bar become evident:

-   -   a) It provides a simple array of products that the customer can         mix and match to suit their preferences greatly reducing         ordering complexity, ordering time and mistakes     -   b) It provides a fast way of assembling orders by enabling cooks         to dish up the food products into individual compartments         (“wells”) in a single tray and cover with a single lid, with no         other packaging needed, reducing assembly time.     -   c) It provides a means of assembling a large order using almost         no extra counter space     -   d) It provides a means of fulfilling a large take-out order         without disrupting the production of food orders of dine-in         customers.     -   e) It provides a functional, convenient means of packaging which         is perceived by the customer as special packaging with a strong         value perception and which can be added into the cost of the         take-out order without customer resistance.     -   f) It provides outstanding insulation properties within a single         unit, keeping hot foods hot and cold foods cold.     -   g) It provides stable packaging which allows the food order to         be carried to and from a car, and driven in a car without         shifting, falling or spilling.     -   h) It allows the food to be presented to the guests by merely         removing the lid and putting on the table, with no clean up or         dishwashing required.     -   i) It provides branding opportunities throughout the meal with         logos, art work and marketing messages on the outside of the         food bar     -   j) It provides easy to carry, stackable packaging which will         allow a single person to easily carry 2-3 food bars which will         serve 20-25 people.     -   k) It provides a multi-piece packaging unit where many of the         components are reusable.     -   l) It provides packaging product that is as attractive, for both         its design and functionality.

Further objects and advantages are to provide packaging which is easier to use, requires less labor, requires less inventory of packaging products, develops the sales potential of the 5-25 person take-out order segment, provides a strong branding opportunity to reach new potential customers, and elevates packaging to a position where it becomes an integral component of the purchase decision.

CONCLUSION, RAMIFICATIONS, AND SCOPE

Accordingly, the reader will see that the portable food bar saves time, space, labor cost, and money as compared to currently available packaging. Its simple make-your-own format eliminates ordering mistakes typical of large take-out orders. It ensures product quality, product temperature and proper product presentation as compared to currently available packaging. It is easy to carry, it doesn't spill when placed on the seat or floor of a car. It can be unpacked in seconds and served as opposed to the time-consuming unpacking and re-plating required with conventional packaging. It required almost no clean-up as compared to the time-consuming clean-up required using conventional packaging.

Furthermore, the portable food bar has the additional advantages in that it:

-   -   Provides packaging which is easier to use     -   Provides packaging which requires less packaging time     -   Uses less labor     -   Protects products from temperature loss     -   Protects products from spilling during transportation     -   Provides an attractive presentation without extensive unpacking,         and re-plating     -   Provides multiple branding and marketing opportunities during         the meal which can attract new customers     -   Provides exciting packaging to stimulate sales opportunities in         the 5-25 person take-out segment     -   Creates packaging benefits which “sell” the food

Although the description above contains many specificities, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention. A key ramification of the portable food bar is its ability for each component to be customized to meet the specific needs of the customer.

Thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given. 

1. An article of packaging for take out food, comprising: a. A base with a cut out top that allows the insertion of a food tray b. A food tray with multiple food compartments of various shapes, sizes and depths which fits snugly on to the top of said base, and c. A lid which snaps securely on to the top of said food tray and base whereby the food products can be packaged quickly, transported without products shifting or spilling, and served in the same container.
 2. The article of packaging of claim 1 wherein said base is made of Styrofoam, plastic, cardboard or similar material with insulation properties.
 3. The article of packaging of claim 1 wherein said base is deep enough to accommodate food trays with food compartments (“food wells”) of various shapes, sizes and depths, allowing for a single said base to be used in conjunction with multiple food trays whereby varying quantities and varieties of take out food can be packaged with a single said base.
 4. The article of packaging of claim 1 wherein said base is made of lightweight, rigid material.
 5. The article of packaging of claim 1 wherein outside material or coating of said base will allow for printing, or pasting of an advertising, branding or marketing banner.
 6. The article of packaging of claim 1 wherein said food tray is made of molded plastic or similar material
 7. The article of packaging of claim 1 wherein said food tray can be customized with various sizes, shapes and depths of compartments, known as food wells.
 8. The article of packaging of claim 1 wherein said food tray fits securely on said base forming a stable unit.
 9. The article of packaging of claim 1 wherein said food tray may have ridges which will touch said lid in such a manner that will create a temperature seal causing food products to retain their temperature.
 10. The article of packaging of claim 1 wherein said lid will fit securely on said food tray and said base.
 11. The article of packaging of claim 1 wherein said lid will be made of plastic or similar material.
 12. The article of packaging of claim 1 wherein said lid may be with made with ridges that touch said food tray in such a manner as to keep the food in each compartment (food well) at the proper temperature.
 13. A method of packaging take out food, comprising: (a) a standardized base which accommodates a variety of compartmentalized food trays (b) a compartmentalized food tray with food wells of multiple sizes, shapes and depths allowing for packaging of both hot and cold foods in a single package (c) a standardized lid which fits on securely on said food try and said base whereby take out food orders for a large group of people can be packed quickly, transported safely without shifting or spilling, retain their proper temperature, and be served without unpacking and re-plating.
 14. The method of claim 12 wherein said base is made of Styrofoam or similar insulating material.
 15. The method of claim 12 wherein said food tray is made of plastic or similar material with compartments, known as food wells, of various sizes, shapes and depths
 16. The method of claim 12 wherein said food tray has ridges which touch said lid in such a manner that will create a temperature seal causing food products to retain their temperature.
 17. The method of claim 12 wherein said food tray fits securely into said base.
 18. The method of claim 12 wherein said lid is made of plastic of similar material
 19. The method of claim 12 wherein said lid fits securely on to said base and said food tray.
 20. The method of claim 12 wherein said lid has ridges that touch said food tray in such a manner as to keep the food in each compartment (food well) at the proper temperature. 